Nakupenda-Yemi Alade ft Nyashinski

10.//I am a man, I look, I tend to notice

Waridi.

"Hey, you want to go out?" St. Claire asked from the open doorway of Waridi's office.

"Hmmm. What!" she looked up from the papers that were scattered around her desk. Their were a few of previous contracts that she was reviewing, some to cancel and others to continue with. "Go out?"

"Yeah, it's been a busy couple of weeks, and you don't even take breaks. So I thought we could go out,"

That was true, she had spent most of her time running around trying to close deals. Since the clients from Mombasa had accepted their offer, her days had been spent getting blueprints, drawing up contracts and getting designs that would fit their specifications and the company's budget. She did deserve a break.

"Is it time to go home yet?" her eyes automatically searched for the clock. Trying to see if she had missed the time again.

"No it's still two, but I think you're tired, I can see the lines on your face. You'll get old if you continue frowning as much as you do,"

"But I'm the owner, I'm supposed to be here all the time and wait, who'd you ask if you can go out. Far as I'm concerned, you don't have any site visits or any out of town attachments,"

"I'm asking right now, ain't I?" he shrugged carelessly while she tried to hold in her laughter. "Besides like you said, you're the owner, you can do whatever you want,"

"Won't other people say I'm being a bit unfair and biased?"

"Who cares? And besides with this face who could say no to it?"

"Really?! What if I say no?"

"But you won't,"

"Okay, you win. I'm coming with you."

Sliding into the cool leather seats of her Toyota land cruiser V8, she started the ignition, and felt it jump start to life. She loved it because it was a reasonable ride big enough with adequate space for cargo, in this case her office papers, yeah, her life was that sad. It had a five point eight-liter diesel capacity and a three hundred and eighty-one horsepower. It's advanced safety precautions and automatic transmission lowered its capacity for being accident-prone, or so she thought.

Her hands rested on the steering wheel, she hadn't been able to drive since the accident, and she wanted to try it. Taking in a deep breath, she clutched it.

"Hey," she called out to her driver after some time of staying without moving. She couldn't do it. "Are you busy? Mind if you drive me?" she had the courtesy to ask since the tour had been unplanned. She just should have accepted to go with St. Claire in his car, she thought.

"Sure, miss Waridi, that's why I'm your driver," he remarked grinning cheekily, his lips upturned, showing his missing canines. If he had been a young man, she would have been charmed. "I kind of guessed you wouldn't be able to that's why I stayed close by,"

"Thank you," it made her sad that more than a few people were aware of her predicament, of her inabilities. She was an achiever and was used to getting first place in everything, sports, academics, and socially. So it was hard on her when she couldn't do something as easy as driving. She accepted the hand her driver was holding out to her, as he helped her into the car.

They entered the freeway, coursing through it freely, given there was no traffic since it was late afternoon. If only it would be that way every day, but if wished were horses. Connecting through the overpass, the vehicles increased, making sure to keep an eye on St. Claire's black sleek Audi, since she didn't know where they were going, and she didn't want to take a chance on getting lost.

St. Claire took a left turn, going into a murram road. It was open enough, so paranoia was the last thing on her mind, and she didn't think he would kill her, and besides, she had a driver with her.

She alighted, closing the car door behind her, and she couldn't believe the place he had taken her. Go Carting.

"Is this your idea of a joke," she furiously approached his car asking. "You know very well I'm not into extreme sports, much less driving, I can't even drive my own car and you bring me go carting,"

"I didn't say you are here to drive, besides, it would really do to overcome your fears,"

"Who said I wanted to overcome any fears," she fired back slowly, looking at the ground ashamed she had assumed everything, she couldn't look at him. "Those fears are my memories, and the moment I let go of them, I'll be forgetting,"

    "Come, let's go sit," he led her to an umbrella shade and ordered lemonade for both of them. "You don't really have to forget the memories, but bottling them up is not a good idea either you know,"

    "I'm just scared," she whispered.

    "You can talk to me. Tell me how it feels, I'll listen. I'll try to understand you,"

    "It feels like no one understands. It feels like everyone expects me to just forget and move on. It feels like everyone doesn't want me to grieve, or remember what I'm going through," she angrily wiped the stray tears that were threatening to drop with the back of her hand, sniffing loudly. "It feels like the only person who can understand is someone who has gone through what I have. I don't want to be judged for giving up, or crying or showing my emotions, because I do want to cry, but I can't,"

    "You can always come and cry in my office," he remarked smiling sadly, holding her hands between his.

    "That's not even funny," she swatted his hands away, but not harshly. "This lemonade is really tasty, what kind of lemons did they use to make it,"

    "I don't know, but we could ask them," she knew that he knew she was trying to steer away from the subject, because there was only one kind of lemons, and she was grateful he didn't ask any further.

    "Sure. Don't you ever miss home?"

    "Sure, I do, but like you, there is a reason I can't go back. What happened there was a tragedy for me, I lost my family and that's partly the reason I understand you so well, I wouldn't want to go back there. I've rebuilt my life here again, I invested in your parent's company, and they gave me good returns, theirs really nothing to go back to," he finished sighing.

   "Did you have any contacts here when you came? It must have been really hard for you, settling down in a new place, seeing that we have a very different way of life,"

    "Yeah, I did. A friend, Tony. We schooled together back in college in Paris, he was studying economics," he said eyeing her warily and she wondered what he was thinking about. "Yes it was hard at first, mainly because of the language barrier, but now I understand most of it, and you guys are super friendly, and you smile at everyone, I haven't really gone through any sort of bullying or ridicule. You can be a little on the crazy side, especially during political campaigns, and your parties are crazy but yeah, generally you are nice and happy people, and you love helping strangers,"

    "You should feel free to consider yourself one of us now, you've stayed with us long enough. So, this friend of yours Tony... he must be really nice to accommodate someone new and show him around, well, I know I wouldn't have the patience,"

    "He is nice," for some reason he emphasized the nice, then added after a little silence. "Just a little confused by life... he recently lost his wife and daughter to an accident,"

    "Oh, that poor man. The number of accidents happening, you'd think the devil is out for blood hunting to souls,"

    "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up," he said after realizing her voice had risen a notch higher than usual.

    "No, it's okay. That's part of healing. I have to recognize and be able to respond to other peoples feelings,"

    "If you are willing to try, I'm sure you'll get there. So yeah, it has been hard on him, but I'm there for him, and we are slowly but surely getting there,"

    "I do hope, he heals. Enough of the sappy talking, ain't you feeling drained already."

    "What do you want to do?"

    "Do you still want to go, go-carting. By the way, what did you think I'd wear, I'm sure I can't go in heels, they wouldn't allow it, would they?"

   "I bought you a pair of jeans and trainers,"

    She gasped, holding her chest slightly, but she was far from offended. "Now I'm starting to really think you are stalking me, however, did you know my size"

    "You are a beautiful lady Waridi. I am a man, I look and I tend to notice a lot of stuff," she held her hand staring deep into her eyes and kissed her.

This was really hard to write, but I'll try editing and adding a few other things.🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Finally, we got a peek into St. Claire's head, tell me what you think of him too.

Also, we are at 500reads💃💃💃💃🎊🎊🎊🎊🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳can't believe it. Celebrating small achievements.

You're all Kings and queens and prince's and princesses👑👑👑👑👑there goes your crowns.

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